Advertising device



. 9, 1941. c. R. WOOTEN ADVERTISING DEVICE File d Oct. 27, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 III. All III I llll'l INVENTOR v Chem fill 002:

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4 Sheets-Sheet Filed 0a.. 27,-19s9 INVENTOR C/MAOt A? Moore-1v 1941- c. R. WOOTEN 2,265,711

' ADVERTISING DEVICE I Filed Oct. 27, 1939 4 Shets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR CHAKOL A. h oonsw in simulation of circus ring-s.

Patented Dec. 9, 1941 UNITED STATES '1 OFFICE ADVERTISING Carrol R. Wooten, New York, N. Y., assignor to Beech-Nut Packing Company, Canajoharie, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application October 27, 1939, Serial No. 301,591

8 Claims.

grammatical, of the device and the electric circuit connection therewith;

Fig. 2 :is a detail sectional view, showing the sprocket and chain connection for operating the parade constituting a part of the device;

.Fig. '3 is a sectional elevation taken on the line :3--3 of Fig. 1';

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatical view illustrating the path of the parade;

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view, taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a detail transverse sectional View on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 5-4; of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 7 is a sectional view on a reduced scale,

taken on the line '|--"I of Fig. 6. The device illustrated in the drawings, is particularly adapted for use in theatres or auditorinms at fairs and the like. The device comprises a platform or stage 2 which is elevated above the floor 4 of the auditorium. The stage extends rearwardly from a vertical wall 6 which has an opening 8 through which the stage may be viewed from the auditorium. A canopy ill which may simulate the inside of a circus tent, extends over the central portion of the stage. The canopy has a rear wall 12 at the back of the stage and end walls l4 extending to the wall 6.

At the front of the stage and extending between the end walls [4 of the canopy are divided curtains 16. These curtains have their outer ends fixed to the end walls 14 of the canopy, and their forward ends are adapted to be drawn toward-and from each other by means of a cord or cable 18 which is wound on a drum 20. The drum is .adapted to be rotated in opposite directions by means of an electric motor 22 and control mechanism 24 therefor. The curtains may be mounted in the same manner and operated by the same mechanism as commonly employed in theatres'for operating stage curtains.

Beneath the canopy H) in back of the curtains are three rings 25 in which are arranged toy acrobatic figures and animals, the rings being The figures may be operated in any desired manner through mechanism driven by electric motors .28 :associated therewith. Between the rings 26 are shown sets of performers on turntables 30 of any desired construction adapted to be operated through mechanism driven by electric motors 32.

The device is further provided with sets of figures including wheeled vehicles 34 which are arranged in parade formation. These several sets are carried by an endless chain 36 which may be connected in any suitable manner with the several sets by devices, such as vertical pins 38 which extend upwardly through a slot 40 in the platform or stage 2. In Figs. 6 and 7., one of the pins 38 is shown connected with the axle housing 33 of a vehicle by means of a rod 4|.

The chain 36 may be supported beneath the slot 49 in the stage, in a casing 42 comprising a strip 44 upon which the chain rests, spaced strips it between which the chain passes and is guided, and opposed strips 38 between which the pins 38 extend. The strips 44, 46 and 48 are arranged between strips or rails 50 secured to the underside of the platform, and a plate .52 is secured to the underside of the rails 50 and are secured to the plates 44, 46 and 48 by rivets 54. The chain is adapted to .be driven by electric motors '56 (Figs. 1 and 2), the shaft of each of which drives a sprocket wheel .58 that operatively engages the links of the chain.

The platform at the rear of the canopy i0 .is provided with a ramp which is inclined from the right Wing of the stage downwardly and takes a double loop form beneath the stage, as indicated in Fig. 4, and then returns to the level of the stage, the chain 36 and casing 42 therefor being secured to the underside of this ramp.

The parade consisting .of the sets of figures and vehicles 36, when not in operation, has its forward end arranged opposite a passageway or opening 62 in the left end wall of the canopy l0, and its rear end adjacent the passageway or opening 64 in the other end wall of the canopy.

Across the front of the stage, spaced slightly at the rear of the slot 40,, is a U-shaped rail 65 which is adapted to receive a contact wheel or disk 63 that is mounted on an arm 10 pivoted on a bracket 12 which may depend from the underside or bottom 14 of each of the vehicles 34 of the parade. When the vehicle reaches the front of the stage, the contact disk 68 rides down into the charged rail 66 and makes circuit connection with an electric motor it on the vehicle to energize the motor. One Wire i the motor is electrically connected with the contact disk 68 through the pivoted arm 10, and'the other wire 18 is connected with the drag pin 38, which through the chain 36 and casing 42 is connected with the line wire 80, the other line wire 8| being connected with the rail 60.

With this construction, as each vehicle passes across the front of the stage, the motor 16 is with circuit wire 80 and makes one complete revolution during each cycle of operation of the device.

The electric motors 56 for driving the conveyor chain for the parade are in circuit with line wires 98. The motor circuit is adapted to be opened and closed by means of a relay I which is connected by a wire I02 with the line wire 8| and by a wire I04 with the brush 89. Between the wire IM and the line wire 80 is a switch I08 which is controlled by a' photo-elec-.

tric cell I08. When the parade is at rest at its starting position the source of light H0 of the cell is opposite a mirror I I2 on one of the vehicles, which results in the switch I06 being held open by the cell device.

The parade is started, which occurs when the stage curtain is closed or nearly closed, by the brush 89 and associated disk 94 closing the circuit with the relay I00, thus closingthe circuit with the motors 58 to drive the conveyor chain for the parade.

As the mirror II2 passes the light of the photoelectric cell,the switch I06 closes and thereafter the brush 89 is out of electrical contact with the disk 94. The circuit of the relay I00 remains closed through the switch I06 until the parade again returns to its initial starting position, whereupon the switch I06 is again opened to stop the parade. Thus accurate stopping of the parade in its proper position is effected.

As the rear end of the parade is leaving the stage, the switch member 88 and associated control disk 94, through the control box 24, closes the circuit with motor 22 to operate the winding drum 20 to draw back the stage curtains I 6. At the same time as the curtains are being drawn back, the switch members 90 and 94 close the circuit connection with the motors 28 to cause operation of the performers in the three rings 26. The switch members 9| and 92 may at the same time or at any desired timed relation respectively close the circuits with the motors 32 to operate the turntables 30 and the performers thereon.

The performance on the stage continues for a predetermined length of time, whereupon the curtains are again drawn closed and the motors 28 and 32 are de-energized thus stopping the performance, the parade again starting as the curtains are closing.

While for simplicity of illustration only a few mechanical performers are shown in the parade; the circus rings and elsewhere beneath the canopy, a large number of such performers may be employed, and all operated through connection with the electrical circuits above described, or

"similar additional circuits.

In the device as in use, transcribed circus band music is synchronized with the operation of the parade and performers, which contributes to the entertainment and simulation of a real circus. It will be apparent that the device may as described operate entirely automatically to provide a continuous performance. The various figures give an opportunity to display packaged goods, such as candy and chewing gum for advertising purposes, and advertising announcements may be transcribed at intervals during the performance.

As will be evident to those skilled in the art, my invention permits various modifications with-, out departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of'the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the class described, a stage, toyperformers mounted on the stage, a canopy extending across the back of the stage, a stage curtain adapted to be opened and closed across the front of the stage, ,toy figures arranged in parade formation and adapted to travel across the stage in front of said curtain, means for operating the parade to cause it to pass across the platform in front of the curtain while the curtain is closed, means acting automatically to open the curtain as the parade leaves the stage and means acting in timed relation thereto for operating the performers on the stage while the curtain is open.

2. In a device of the class described, a stage,

toy performers mounted on the stage, a canopy extending across the back of the stage and across the ends of the stage, a stage curtain adapted to be opened and closed across the frontof the stage, toy figures arranged in parade formation and adapted to travel across the stage in front of said curtain, portions of said canopy that extend across the ends of the stage having openings through which the parade may pass as it enters and leaves the stage, means for operating the parade to cause it to pass across the platform in front of the curtain while the curtain is closed, means acting automatically to open the curtain as the parade leaves the stage, and means acting in timed relation thereto for'operating the performers on thestage while the curtain 15 open.

3. In a device of the class described, a stage having a ramp leading downwardly at the rear thereof in a loop form and then leading back to the rear of the stage, a parade extending from one end of the front of the stagealong said ramp and to the other end of the stage, means for operating the parade to cause it to travel across the stage until the rear end thereof passes the front of the stage, automatically controlled means for then stopping the parade with the front end of the parade at the entrance end of the stage, a stage curtain adapted to be opened and closed across the front of the stage in front of the path of travel of said parade, and means acting automatically to open the curtain as the parade leaves the stage.

4. In a device of the'class described, a stage, a parade having its front end arranged at one end of the front of the stage and its rear end at the other end of the front of the stage, said parade extending about the rear of the stage, means for traversing the parade to cause it to pass across the front of the stage, and means controlled by a photo-electric cell for stopping the parade when the front end thereof reaches said initial position.

5. In a device of the class described, a. stage, sets of figures arranged in parade formation extending around the ends and back of the stage with the front and rear ends of the parade arranged at opposite ends of the stage, electric motors mounted on certain of said sets, and automatically controlled means for energizing said motors as the figures pass across the front of the stage and for de-energizing the motors as the figures leave the front of the stage.

6. A structure according to claim 5 in which the means for energizing the motors comprises an electrically charged rail extending across the front of the stage.

7. In a device of the class described, a stage, toy performers mounted on the stage, a stage curtain adapted to be opened and closed across the front of the stage, toy figures arranged in parade formation and adapted to travel across the stage in front of said curtain, means for operating the parade to cause it to pass across the platform in front of the curtain while the curtain is closed, means acting automatically to open the curtain as the parade leaves the stage, and means for operating the performers on the stage while the curtain is open.

8. In a device of the class described, a stage, sets of figures arranged in parade formation adapted to pass in a circuit across the stage and around the ends and back of the stage, means for thus traversing the sets of figures, electric motors mounted on certain of said sets, and automatically controlled means for energizing said motors as: the figures pass across the front of the stage and for de-energizing the motors as the figures leave the front of the stage.

CARROL R. WOOTEN. 

